


A Time of Miracles

by GateOfTheSettingSun



Category: The Terror (TV 2018)
Genre: 12 Days of Carnival, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Little and Jopson are basically married, M/M, Recovery, everyone but the rat bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 09:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23968882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GateOfTheSettingSun/pseuds/GateOfTheSettingSun
Summary: A true Christmas miracle!12 Days of CarnivaleDay 8 (Dec 20): “a time of miracles”
Relationships: Thomas Jopson/Lt Edward Little
Kudos: 12





	A Time of Miracles

The newspaper described their return as a miracle. The admiralty described their survival as a miracle. None of this felt like a miracle, Edward didn’t feel anymore saved than when they were out there wandering those sharp rocks. Had they truly been saved? After all, they had been through. After all, they had lost? So many men died there, so many friends, so many that he should have protected.

Hickey and his dogs had taken one of the boats and left when that demon had attacked them. They didn’t see them again. Crozier sent out a search party for them, for Doctor Goodsir’s sake, but they were nowhere to be found. At least they had found Goodsir. Blessed be Lady Jane, her rescue ship found those who had stayed with Crozier. They had ended up leaving the boats behind completely. Carrying their sick on their backs. It was sheer willpower that got them to keep going. Edward had taken Jopson. The steward didn’t wake up anymore, but he was still breathing. So Edward could only hope that those clear blue eyes would open again one day. What he wouldn’t give to make that happen.

It was the team that had rescued them whom Francis had asked to search, simply asked them to look while they went back to the ships to recover those men that had stayed. And it was Edward he had asked to lead the team back. He didn’t feel safe leaving Jopson, as if the moment the contact between their hands broke he would slip away. But Jopson was safe, he was warm and with doctors. Edward couldn’t help him. So he did as ordered even if every inch of his soul begged him not to ever venture out there on those rocks, to never leave Jopson behind again, to never tempt fate again. That demon might still be out there. Their rescue had brought hope and the trip to the ships brought a fresh wave of fear for death. But they found the demon. It was dead. Smelled rotten and sick. While the rescuers had looked at it in horror Edward wondered if the death of the demon meant the end of it. That this was the end of the horror they had suffered through these years on the ice. Maybe it was

When they came home it was not the demon nor the cold that haunted Edward. But all those who had been lost and forgotten up there in the ice. And the curse didn’t leave them. Not truly. Sick and broken they came home with little hope for recovering. Edward didn’t dare to check up on the small number that had arrived back in London. Those who had died on the sail back had pained everyone no matter how little they knew them. They had been so close and yet God took them away now. So now Edward was scared to keep in touch with any of them. It would hurt too much as he knew some of them were too weak to ever recover. Which was what he feared for Jopson.

At their return, Edward had taken Jopson with him. He had the utmost respect for Jopson’s mother and brother, he had helped the other home to see them. But it had not been a place for Jopson to recover. So he had taken Jopson to his own home. A house too large for one person, meant for Edward when he got a wife and kids which hadn’t happened yet, much to his mother’s disappointment, so it was just empty and dark. Edward hired a housekeeper and nursed Jopson all he could. He was offered a higher rank at the admiralty but Edward denied it and left the life of sailing for good. His father was out of his good skin when he heard the news. But Edward didn’t care. His father had plenty of connections, he would find some other job. Something on land, in a factory, just something. He only cared about taking care of Jopson.

Edward supposed his faith in miracles was restored when those clear blue eyes opened again.

He stared down the lively street, filled with light and decorations as the snow fell. The cold didn’t haunt him as it used to. And while he would never be able to forget, at least he wasn’t alone. A call from Jopson got his attention, he was standing by a stand with roasted chestnuts. He was waving Edward over. His hair had grown full and rich again. He took good care of it too, styling it as usual. Freshly shaved, cheeks red from the cold but healthy and happy most importantly. Edward walked over and let the other show him the roasted chestnuts. They bought some, having forgotten the taste of it. They had not celebrated Christmas for quite a few years, was about time they got to enjoy such a festive time again. Together too. After so many months of recovery Jopson was finally himself again, the only difference was that now he was also Edward’s. A real Christmas miracle if anything. Though Jopson would surely laugh at Edward’s silly thoughts if he told the other.


End file.
